Stranger
by Strange Girl 773
Summary: AU. Inspired by the fanfic "Stalemate" by CaptainTyphlosion. Katniss Everdeen met a stranger during one of her hunting trips in the forest...what would happen next?
1. Chapter 1

**Stranger**

**Hello guys, I'm just a little girl who's English isn't her first language. This is a crossover of Hunger Games and Avengers. Also, my interpretation of the characters might be different from yours so don't be offended of the characters seems kind of OOC. Sorry if it isn't that good, I just want to try something new and of course, PLEASE REVIEW! Constructive criticism and praises really means a lot.**

**Disclaimer : I do not own Hunger Games or the Avengers. This fanfic is also inspired by another fanfic similar to this called "Stalemate" by CaptainTyphlosion.**

As silent as a mouse, I warily camouflaged myself with the thick emerald bushes, making sure he couldn't spot me while locking my bows and quivers beside me.

Is he any threat? What is he doing here? Who is he anyway?

On the appearance, he looked quite muscular though I could see some scars on his body which would probably be caused by some kinds of fights. He also wore some dark toned uniform which in some parts were torn and covered with mud and dirt. This uniform he was wearing looked as though it was designed for an important event; definitely not for coal mining.

The most eye catching thing that I noticed about him was his bow that he was carrying. It looked quite high-tech, and that immediately made the word 'Capitol' popped into my head because something like that does not belong in District 12. The weapon would hundred percent outfight my handcrafted one. With that mysterious uniform and prevailing bow, he gave out some dangerous aura...

But the aura was softened by the fact that he wasn't carrying any arrows at all.

What's the point of having a bow and no arrows? Is he dangerous? Should I be afraid of him? Should I shoot him?

Many questions flooded through my head as I intently studied this man. I am exceptionally sure that he wasn't from our District and there were a high chance that he might be someone working for the Capitol, judging by the technologically advanced weapon he had and the odd clothing he wore even if they aren't that vivid...

But overall, he doesn't look that evil.

People from the Capitol or the Career Districts would typically be some ruthless killing machine but this man –whoever he was- doesn't look like one. Atleast if he _does _kill he wouldn't be that sadistic. Plus, he was wounded and looked quite lost, as if he unintentionally wandered into this forest and got stuck here for some days...

So does make him a threat or not?

As I was mentally debating with myself in confusion, I accidentally shifted my weight too hard onto a dry branch, causing it to snap.

The simple cracking sound from the branch caused the man to turn his attention towards me. I know I should be frightened right now, but I couldn't help but be quite impressed with the reflexes this man possessed.

The man the moved into some kind of getting-ready position but he didn't spring just yet. Instead, he just stared at me (as if analyzing me), his face giving away nothing. I instinctively did the same; concealing my face with that emotionless mask.

Eventhough we were making no sound, my head were full of echoes of the words 'Capitol' and a little of the word 'Spy'.

Just before I would snap with the tension, the man finally response.

"Are you going to shoot me?" He spoke; his voice was soft but firm.

This question made me notice myself. I was pulling the string on my bow and the arrow on it back very hard, too hard. I loosened my grip a little bit but still enough so that I could spring into action and shoot the stranger any time if needed.

"Are you with the Capitol?" My voice was deep and hard.

"No." The man replied, slightly startled but still on guard. "I have no idea what you are talking about."

I could sense some real sincerity here, I relaxed a little.

"Who are you?" I continued, my voice softened a little bit.

The reply was silence.

I tensed suddenly. If he was good and meant no harm, why wouldn't he just answer me truthfully?

"Are you even from Panem?" I asked, making the question wider, hoping desperately for some kind of response.

"No..." The man answered, his voice showed a mixture of confusion and surprise.

"Then what are you doing here? Are you spying on us or trying to attack us or what? Why are you here? Who are you?" I asked, even more puzzled and desperate than before.

It took quite a long while of him staring at me, but finally he responded back.

"I go by the name of Hawkeye." He declared.

Hawkeye? I've never heard of such name in my life. Most names I've known are names of herbs, plants, gemstones, items and sometimes animals. The closest that I knew was probably Sparrowhawk, a name of a tribute from District 2 of the 67th Hunger Games. But the problem is this man was _not_ from Panem.

So maybe, this _Hawkeye, _might not be evil...

A large part of me wanted to tell him who I am and to help him but the logical side of me stopped me from doing that. What if the man was lying? Some people from the Capitol or the Career Districts are known to be cunning, using dirty tricks to earn their enemies' trust before finally backstabbing them in the end.

"Archery?" He spoke up, deliberately changing the subject. I also noted that his tone was now quite bright and friendly, as if he was talking to a friend he've known for some years.

"What about it?" I replied, not letting my guard down.

"Any good at it? I'm just curious and wanted to calm the tension down a bit, that's all, I swear." He defensively spoke back. Maybe I was imagining it but Hawkeye was sort of smiling a friendly playful smile at me too.

But really, why is he asking this? To distract me?

"I'm okay." I replied.

"Prove it." He spoke.

Easy, I could shoot almost anything within my eye-sight.

I noticed that this Hawkeye was standing directly below a tree, and right on top of his head was a bright scarlet fruit.

I locked my aim at the fruit before finally pulling my string and shooting the target.

The arrow planted itself right in the centre of the fruit; the amount of force caused by the collision also made the fruit fell down on top of Hawkeye's head. I have to sniffle a laugh at the sight.

Hawkeye then caught the fruit before giving me back my arrow.

"You say that was _okay?_" He asked me seriously in a deep mysterious voice.

I raised my eyebrow at him.

"That was splendid!" He announced in an awestruck way.

I couldn't help but smiled back at his reaction.

We just stood there, doing nothing for a while. Strangely, the silence this time isn't awkward or tense, it was actually surprisingly comfortable.

This _Hawkeye_, who ever he was, doesn't look that bad too. Most of the time I followed my instinct and most of the time they were also correct. And now, my instincts were telling me to trust him.

"Katniss..."I whispered quietly, making my decision.

"What?" Hawkeye replied curiously.

"My...My name is Katniss." I spoke finally.

Hawkeye just looked at me, seeming to be pondering about something meanwhile I just stood there, not daring to move.

"Well, hello Katniss." He smiled.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys, I'm alive and I've decided to continue it! I got some ideas though I'm not entirely sure where this story will end, I guess I'm just going to improvise and just let the story write itself. Also, sorry if it's not realistic or if the characters are OOC. Also, for those who already alerted, favorited or reviewed... THANK YOU! They really mean a lot to me!**

**Disclaimer : I do not own Hunger Games or the Avengers...If I do then Finnick would've been alive and Hawkeye would've gotten a bigger part!**

Hawkeye's POV:

A lot had happened since I met Katniss. When I finally earned her trust, she let me be a guest in her house. Her mother seemed a bit bitter at first but once Katniss explained everything and she saw my wounds she immediately came and nurse me with such care I was caught off guard. The same go for Katniss' sister, Prim. On the outside like a helpless little girl but the medical ability she possessed really amazed me, she could really be a successful doctor when she grew up.

However, when I knew the truth, I figured that their futures might not really be as bright as I thought. Katniss told me about how almost everyone from this part of District 12 (nicknamed the Seam) were malnourished, how most people here ended up dying from starvation halfway through their lives and how most people here don't even have a complete family.

She explained that she needed to hunt for food in order to her family and friends alive even though it is considered illegal but luckily, the Peacekeepers (the equivalent of our polices) of District 12 also needed food so they didn't punish her. She also told me about the Hob, a black market where she traded food.

But the most troubling thing that I've heard is probably about the Hunger Games. Every year, one boy and one girl between ages 12 and 18 is reaped from each district and were supposed to go into an arena to fight to the death. The event is televised throughout Panem and the last living person is declared the victor.

I was incredibly sorry for Katniss and the other people who have to suffer in this country.

In turn, I told to them about how I was working with the Avengers, how this Loki managed to get hold of this Tesseract and an army of Chitauri, how something triggered the Tesseract to open a portal while we were battling and how I (along with some Chitauries) fell into the portal. I told them about how I must've become unconscious during the trip through the portal because when I woke up I found myself in the forest.

I wandered through the forest trying to find a way out for a while before meeting with a group of Chitauri that fell in with me. I fought with them for a while but before the last one died, it managed to destroy the remaining of my arrows. Without any arrows, I couldn't really hunt for food but I was able to live for a few days with the fruits and lake-water I found. I then decide to try and find the way out of here and that was when I met Katniss.

After a whole lot of trading our stories, we became friends.

When Katniss' mother finally concluded that I am well now, Katniss introduced me to Gale Hawthorne. He was a nice guy really; he seems to be very close to Katniss too.

From that day on, they would give me some arrows to use and the three of us would go hunting together. We would exchange our knowledge with eachother. It turns out that with I'm the most skilled archer in the group, Gale's the expert at using snares and Katniss is the specialist with the plants.

Now, everything seems fine here. No more aliens chasing after me, made a lot of friends... If only I could find a way to go back home, but all I could do now is wait until the Avengers find a way to rescue me.

**Sorry, I know this is really short but I just wanted to get something up. If you got any comments, criticism, praises or ideas then please tell me by reviewing or pm-ing me!**


	3. Chapter 3

**The part about the meeting with the Chitauri belongs to Mitch2001liu and I must really thank her for that idea but the rest are (sort of) mine. I'll admit that I based it from the part where Gale got whipped in Catching Fire but atleast I've changed it around a bit.**

**Also, this story is set around 6-8 months before the first book.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own HG or Avengers.**

Hawkeye's POV:

"Where _is_ Gale?" Katniss moaned impatiently while throwing her hands up in frustration. "He should be back by now!"

I creased by brow. She is right, it shouldn't take this long. We're on one of our usual hunting trips and decided to split up. We promised eachother to meet at this spot after thirty minutes but Gale was already fifteen minutes late.

"Clint!" She snapped at me. "If in ten more minutes he isn't here lets go find him, I'm sick of waiting now."

"Okay, just calm down, Katniss." I insisted.

Right before Katniss would complain again, Gale came running towards us. Instead of scolding him, Katniss let out a loud gasp. I couldn't hold back my own shock either.

His shirt was ripped and stained with deep crimson blood, his left trouser was also torn apart and there was a jagged claw-shaped gash across his leg. He looked as if he was mauled by some kind of monster.

"What-" Katniss started.

"There's this giant mutt who's trying to eat my brain out there! I tried shooting some arrows at it but it wouldn't work and it attacked me so I ran away and-" Gale hastily explained but I cut him off.

"Wait, wait, wait...a mutt? What's a mutt?" I questioned.

Gale was panting from all the running and talking so Katniss answered instead.

"It's short for mutations. They're animals that have been altered or bred by the Capitol to use as weapons... But I thought they were only used during the Games..." Katniss replied back.

"So they're some kind of monster...what did it looked like, Gale?" I asked, hoping that it might actually be the answer I was looking for.

"Well..." Gale started but he was cut of again when something suddenly came running towards us.

We all immediately got into the defensive position, our bows ready to shoot.

The creature was a grey-skinned humanoid being which looked like a mixture of a machine and a monster. I recognised it at once.

"It's a Chitauri!" I declared.

"I thought you killed the ones that came with you already!" Gale shouted back at me.

I heard Katniss yelling something else but I was too lost in my own thoughts to really understand anything going around me. I knew that this is really crazy..._and_ selfish too...maybe...just maybe...if the portal might actually have somehow been re-opened, causing more Chitauri to come here, and maybe if that is true then the other Avengers might actually be able to come here too, then I would be able to go home!

I quickly dismissed the thought. Now is not the time to be homesick and plus, how could I leave my friends after all we've been through so easily? I shook the thought out of my head and focused at the problem at hand.

I drew back my arrow, locked my aim and let the arrow plant itself right on the centre of the Chitauri's chest.

However, this wasn't enough. The skin of the alien was too thick for a normal homemade arrow like this to penetrate and reach the heart. But then, an idea popped into my head; a wild yet efficient idea.

"Someone give me something sharp; a knife or something like that would be great." I requested. They must've had some kind of weapon with them because after all, they _are_ hunters.

Katniss and Gale exchanged some looks with each other but then Katniss reluctantly handed me her knife.

"What are you planning to do?" She asked, narrowing her eyes.

"I'm gonna kill the Chitauri." I bluntly answered.

With all the force I have, I pounced onto the Chitauri like a predator before locking my arms around its neck in a chokehold position. The Chitauri frantically thrashed around, trying to get me off its back but I impulsively kept holding on.

"Clint!" I heard someone anxiously yelled out at me but I ignored the cry, knowing that I need to focus.

After a long struggle, I managed to pin the Chitauri down onto the ground before finally using the knife Katniss gave me, stabbed the Chitauri right in its heart. The alien let out a pained howl before falling dead.

"Cut the neck too!" Gale commented and I noticed Katniss shooting him a dirty look.

"Just in case it heals or something." Gale added defensively.

I did as he instructed; slicing its head of its shoulders. And I really loathed what I just did.

The blade of the knife and my hand were all covered with a black oil-like substance which was probably the alien's blood.

_Blood. _The word echoed in my ears again and again, refusing to fade away. This is what I hate the most about my job...and about myself. I'm a killer_. A murderer. _As I breathe in the foul scent of the blood, I could just feel the sickness rising in the pit of my stomach.

"Clint?" Katniss worriedly asked. "You okay?"

"I-I'm f-fine." I shakily replied eventhough it's obvious that I was not.

I turned my head away from the direction of the corpse before breathing in some fresh air, trying to clear the bloody scent away.

This is strange. Why am I feeling so guilty after the kill? Haven't I've been doing this all my life?

I pondered over that for a moment before concluding that it was probably because I'm not used to it. Normally when I kill I would use my special arrows and the arrows would cause a quick, painless death. Not a brutal and gory death like this.

"Clint?" Gale called me, snapping me out of my haze.

"Honestly, what's wrong?" Katniss exasperatingly asked.

"Nothing! Really, I'm fine!" I told then though I'm pretty sure that they're not buying it. "I'm just a bit...shocked, that's all."

That's half of the truth. I'm shocked at what just happened but I'm also disgusted at what I just did.

I handed the blood-spattered knife back to Katniss.

"Let's go back and let my mum fix us up." Katniss insisted, changing the subject.

When we arrived at the house, Prim and Katniss' mother were really stunned and when they asked what happen, we just told them we got in a fight with a wild cat. Naturally, they didn't believe it but they help tend our wounds wordlessly anyway.

Since that day, we became more cautious when hunting in the forest and we don't talk much about the incident but even without a reminder, the memory of it was still fresh in my head. The memory of how I've killed so coldly and how there might actually be a chance for me to go back home...

_Couple of days later. (Still in Clint/Hawkeye's POV)_

I shot straight up, my senses becoming awake. What is going on?

I looked around. Yes, I'm in my bedroom. Yes, it's morning. Yes, I'm in my bed. But no, why am I all wet? When I looked down I saw my answer; a bucket which I presume was filled with the water which was used to splash me awake.

When I scanned around once more I saw Katniss standing next to the door, wearing a smirk on her face.

"Awake yet?" She asked in the most innocent voice she could muster.

"What was that for!" I irritably replied back.

"You wouldn't wake so I've got no other choice." She spoke, her mouth curving up a little.

"Well, whatever." I rolled my eyes though I didn't try to resist when a ghost of smile touched my lips.

"Okay, to the main point," Katniss spoke, her voice and face turning serious, "At 10 o'clock there will be an announcement in front of the Justice Building."

"An announcement?" I repeated.

"Yeah, though I don't know too what would it be about..." she replied.

I glanced at the clock; it's 9:30.

"I'll get going now." I told her before walking to the bathroom to get dressed.

"See you there." I heard Katniss spoke before the door slammed shut.

_The Announcement_

I gazed around, trying to find Katniss or Gale but then they came up to me.

"Hey, so what is this about?" Gale questioned.

As if on cue, a Peacekeeper commanded everyone to be silent. I then saw a middle-aged man with a shaved grey head and menacing grey eyes walked onto the stage.

"He's wearing the Head Peacekeeper uniform!" Katniss whispered next to me.

"But I thought Cray was the Head Peacekeeper." Gale stated.

"Hello, everybody." The man declared, causing everyone to fall silent. "My name is Romulus Thread and I am here to replace as the Head Peacekeeper, seeing that he seems to not be doing his work properly."

I took a glance at Katniss whose face seemed to be very grim at the news.

"From now on, if any laws are broken by anyone they will have to be punished." Thread added before telling the citizens that they are now allowed to leave.

Immediately, Katniss dragged me and Gale back home before giving us a warning.

"Guys this is really bad," Katniss spoke, her voice in a stern whisper. "This man doesn't seem like someone from our district and there's a high possibility that he might even be from the Capitol itself. So now we must be extremely cautious, if he caught us hunting then who knows what will happen..."

Both Gale and I nodded, showing her we understood before departing back to our homes.

_Couple of days later_

"Katniss, we must go now before the Peacekeepers start patrolling." I warned her.

"Okay, okay... I'll meet you there I promise, just let me feed this little devil first or else Prim's gonna kill me." Katniss replied while searching for some food to feed Buttercup.

"Okay." I walked out of the door.

As I arrived at the forest, it was still dark so I'm quite safe. I spotted a little turkey trotting across the ground so I silently stalked to it. I drew my arrow back and _wham!_ It hit the turkey right in the eye. I smiled at myself before putting the turkey in the game bag.

I searched around for a while before I found a squirrel scurrying in the trees. I was about to shoot it when I heard a voice.

"You there! Stop!" The deep threatening voice boomed, scaring away the squirrel and some birds. It took me a few seconds to realize that it was Thread's voice.

I swiftly sprinted away from Thread but along the way, I bumped into someone.

It was Katniss.

Gale was following Katniss behind too.

"Guys, get out of here! Thread's coming!" I urgently whispered to them.

We then heard some footsteps thumping in our direction so we tried to run away as fast as we could.

I and Gale managed to reach Katniss' house in safety but Katniss...

"Where's Katniss?" I alarmingly asked.

"I-I think t-that s-she..." Gale stammered.

"Tell me!" I impatiently shouted.

"She got caught up by Thread!" Gale concluded.

I felt as if time itself slowed down, as if I was swallowed whole by the feeling of dread... If something happens to her... It would be my fault.

"Katniss..." I whispered hoarsely.

What am I supposed to do now?

**Please review! Or fav or alert or whatever... Hope you liked it!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry I've been slow at updating lately, I was planning out the story so now...I finally worked out how the story will end! Though if you have any suggestions feel free to submit it, I'll somehow find a way to fit it into the story.**

**Also, at Cross-Over-Lover232, that sounds very funny but as if I follow my plan, the Avengers won't be coming around anytime soon. They'll just come during the last scene where Clint goes back home. However, I might use the Hulk idea in the ending when the Avengers come and 'rescue' Clint...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avengers or Hunger Games.**

**Clint's POV as usual (but I promise they'll be a chapter in Katniss' POV)**

_If any laws are broken by anyone, they will have to be punished._

_Punished_

The words that Thread voiced during the announcement came tumbling back at me as my eyes grew wide in horror.

"Gale! Remember what Thread said about the punishment? What kind of punishment did he meant? Gale, answer me!" I gripped his shoulders and shook them harshly, forcing Gale out of his shock.

"I-I don't know! How am I supposed to know! But it's not good...definitely not something good." Gale replied back forebodingly.

I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing, trying to calm my nerves down and clear my foggy mind. My experiences had proved that panicking always does you no good...

_Right._ I mentally spoke to myself. _How am I supposed to help Katniss? Firstly, I must know where she is._

"Let's get moving!" I told Gale, throwing my bows and arrows aside before setting off.

My legs seem to move on its own accord as they sprinted off speedily. It took a while but then Gale finally caught up.

"Where are we-" Gale started.

"The town square, there are lots of people there and someone might saw Katniss or Thread passing by." I quickly cut him off knowing that there was no time to lose.

But something caught my sight as we approached the square. A thick crowd of people were assembling around the square, more than half of the crowd were looking pale and terrified. I also heard a distant sound of impact going on though it was being muffled by the gasping and the frantic talking of the crowds.

"What's going on?" Gale asked a young woman who was standing on her tip-toes trying to see through the crowds. She wouldn't answer back so I impatiently made my way into the crowd. I heard Gale following me but I couldn't care less about it anyway, Gale would easily manage without me guiding him.

I noticed that the deeper I travelled into the crowd, the darker the atmosphere seems to be. Some people were gossiping like crazy, some were literally frozen by fear while some, like me, were plain clueless.

I also noticed some strange murky scent in the air...maybe it was just me being paranoid or it was just my wild imagination tricking me but the scent smelt awfully similar to blood...

And the thought of it being Katniss' blood really frightened me.

As I move closer to the source of the crowd, I was so nervous that I swore I could hear my blood pumping in my ears while my heart was beating like a horse in my chest. I also became aware of my neck and palms which were sweating like crazy too, but despite all of this I forced myself to continue.

When I finally reached the source, the amount of guilt beyond describable petrified me. My entire body was frozen; unable to do anything and the only thought that coursed through my head was that it was all my fault.

In front of my eyes was Katniss, her hands tied to a pole which leaves her body dangling down in a painful position. The backside of her shirt was slashed open, revealing her bare naked back... Or at least what was left of her back.

Her back was now a bloody mess; bright red blood oozed out of her wounds and painted the rest of her back a vivid red colour. My guilt then turned into a mixture of anger and worry when I worked out that the wounds were caused by whipping. Standing next to Katniss was Thread and in his hand was a bloody whip.

Gale who had now caught up with me seemed to work this out too. I could just sense the anger radiating off him. His body was shaking with rage, his eyes were murderous and his face has contorted into a furious frown. I tried my best to calm him down. Even if I was angry too myself, my conscience knows better that being angry would also do no good; there's no way that we could outfight Thread and the Peacekeepers.

As Thread raised the whip once more, Gale couldn't hold back any longer so despite my efforts at stopping him, he flung himself out of my reach while his hands balled into fists as he tried to attack Thread.

Like I predicted, Thread being a more experienced than Gale blocked the attacks easily before using his whip to ruthlessly gash Gale's face. The impact caused Gale's body to crumble down onto the ground as some crimson blood trickled down his face. Thread then ordered some of his Peacekeepers to take Gale away.

As the torture played out in front of me, I couldn't help but imagined how agonizing the pain must be for both Gale and Katniss... And how I should've been the one who go t whipped, not them.

I immediately shook my head, clearing the thoughts away. Now it's not the time for self-loathing.

I fixed my thoughts on rescuing Katniss before Thread whip her to death. Right, so I only have three options (that I could think of). One if to fight but then I'll just end up like Gale. Two is to volunteer to get whipped myself but I'll probably end up dead myself and that would just cause more trouble. Three is to use my intellect and think of some kind of excuse for Thread to stop whipping Katniss. After weighing up all my choices, three is the best.

But really, I'm not _that_ good at speaking and using my brain... It's always Natasha who's good at that, not me. But then again, I'm in Panem and Tasha's not here! I scratched my head in frustration before an idea popped up into my mind.

If I couldn't think of a _real_ reason... Then why not _make_ one up?

Thread whipped Katniss severely, causing Katniss to moan out a pained whimper which then snapped me out of my thoughts. I need to do this fast. I glanced at the Peacekeeper Team and noticed that most of them were familiar faces; faces of people at the Hob. I could easily tell that they are not enjoying the show too though they're probably too scared to do anything alone.

But I'm pretty sure that if I tried to reason with Thread, they would be on my side.

"Excuse me, sir," I loudly spoke up, pushing all my nervousness aside. "I believe that the required number of lashes has already been dispensed, sir."

Thread hesitated for a moment before raising his eyebrows and looked at me.

"How did you know?" He questioned menacingly.

"I used to be a Peacekeeper before, sir." I lied back convincingly.

Thread stared at me, analyzing me for a moment before turning back to his Peacekeeper Team.

"Is that the standard protocol here?" Thread asked his Peacekeepers.

"Yes, sir," A woman who I remembered eating at Greasy Sae's before answered. "Unless your sentence is death, we would carry it out by the firing squad, sir."

The remaining Peacekeepers nodded keenly, though I'm highly sure that nobody actually knows the real rules anyway.

"Very well." Thread concluded, making me extremely relieved.

"But if you break a rule again, I'll assemble that firing squad by myself." He spoke to Katniss once more before putting the whip away and trotting off.

The Peacekeepers then handed a bruised, unconscious Gale to me before following suit. I quickly mouthed a thank you to the woman before she left.

By now most of the crowd has already dispersed away but some of them stayed behind and helped me take the sleeping Katniss and Gale to Katniss's mother.

**At the House**

Everyone is fine now. Katniss's mother and Prim were both tremendously disturbed when they saw what Thread did to Katniss and Gale but they quickly recovered and got to work.

They gave some kind of cream for Gale to put on his bruises so now he's recovering but Katniss... She was _still _lying unconscious on the table while the healers applied some medicine onto the scars.

But even though the scars are now fine, she _wouldn't wake up!_

I sat on the wooden chair outside of the room, my head in my hands, waiting grimly for Katniss to wake. It's all my fault. If only I wasn't so stupid that Thread saw me, if only I warned Katniss faster...

"Hey," Gale putted his hand on my shoulders comfortingly. "You okay?"

"I'm...okay..." I sighed. "You? How are your bruises?"

"I'm okay..." Gale responded. "Stop looking so guilty, it's not your fault. It's my choice that I fought Thread, not yours."

"Thank you..." But as I spoke her name my voice seemed to drop an octave lower. "But Katniss..."

Right at that moment the door burst open, revealing Katniss' mother.

"She's awake now, you can come in." She quietly spoke.

Gale instantly rushed in to meet Katniss but my feet were stuck on the floor. Would Katniss be mad at me? How am I supposed to apologize for her?

"Clint?" Someone called my name. It was Gale. "Come in, Catnip's waiting for you."

I took a deep breath before finally walking in. I couldn't hide from her forever anyway.

Katniss was sitting in a wooden chair, her whole upper-body was bandaged and she was staring intently at me.

"Hey." Katniss spoke, her voice still hoarse.

"Hi." I replied back lamely, too nervous to think of any other response.

An awkward silence filled the room but the ice was broken by Gale exiting the room because his "mother is waiting for him". Katniss' mother and Prim then exited too.

"I'm sorry." I uttered, avoiding Katniss's eyes though I could feel them staring straight at me.

"It's me who Thread saw in the beginning, not you. I should've been the one being punished, not you. And-" I rushed out but Katniss cut me off.

"It's okay, really. It's also partly my fault too that I ran too slowly and Thread caught me." Katniss whispered.

"And actually, you did save me too. Gale told me about it all already. About how you..._convinced_ Thread to let me go" She continued. "You're brave enough to come find me, when you _did_ found me you weren't a coward and ran away, you also didn't give in to your anger like Gale did and you still successfully saved me without hurting anyone else."

"So you're not mad at me?" I spoke, my face lighting up.

"Of course not! You saved me and I'm very thankful for that." She replied, a smile creeping onto her face.

I have no idea what got into me but I gently hugged Katniss, making sure not to hard to hurt her though. And surprisingly, she returned my hug!

"You have no idea how worried I was, Katniss." I tenderly whispered into her ears.

"Thank you, Clint." She spoke, her eyes staring into mine.

**Hope you liked it, I know it is very similar to that part in Catching Fire but hey, I'm just having fun here so don't sue me! And as usual, don't hesitate to review if you want to!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey, people have been asking me this so here you go... There will **_**not **_**be any romantic feelings going on between Clint and Katniss cos look at the age! (No offense to anyone because sometimes age doesn't matter but in **_**this**_** case, it **_**does**_**. Katniss isn't 18 yet...but maybe of she's 25 and he's 30...)**

**And there will be no Galeniss here. Again, no offense but I prefer Peetnis, Clintasha or Hawkniss (if the age are right).**

**Also, cross-over-lover232 and other people who asked, I do have some ideas for a 'what if' sequel but let me finish this story first. It's only about 2 or 3 chapters left!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Period.**

**Clint's POV**

_Wham!_

I immediately rushed to see my result. Good. It's dead. The arrow has successfully pierced through its eye, neatly killing it. I swiftly pulled out the arrow before stuffing the bird into the bag.

A fat turkey like this would definitely make an excellent meal.

I and Katniss were on our usual hunting trips. Gale just left a while ago to go help his mother with some chores.

After the incidents, -both the whippings and the Chitauri- we became extremely wary whenever we were hunting but now that Thread has seemed to calmed down and there aren't any monsters lurking in the woods, everything seems back to normal.

Now that my bag was filled with tasty meats, I cheerily trotted back to the berry bushes where Katniss and I decided to meet.

However, as I travelled closer to the bushes, I heard some sound...voices almost. It was an unearthly sound yet it was surprisingly soothing. I also felt some shivers running down my spine too. What is this? I know Panem isn't some kind of magical fairyland but is it possible that there might actually be some sirens here?

Without really thinking, my legs followed the sound, trying desperately to find the source. As I got even closer, I heard some words..._lyrics._

_Deep in the meadow, hidden far away  
A cloak of leaves, a moonbeam ray  
Forget your woes, and let your troubles lay  
And when again it's morning, they'll wash away_

So it's a song. As I listened more carefully, I noticed that there seems to be multiple singers singing the song...the _lullaby. _The soothing words of the song remind me of something you would sing a baby to sleep.

Despite the gentle words, the emotions I sensed were very...sad. There were some heart-warming moments but throughout the song, I sensed this bittersweet longing feeling, the feeling you have when you are yearning for something that will never come true.

Finally, I reached the source. It was Katniss. Her back was turned towards me but from the way her mouth was moving, I could tell that she was singing.

Katniss was sitting on a rock next to a small pond. I also noted some little birds (which look strangely similar to mockingbirds) surrounding her. They seemed to be chirping out some songs too.

"Hey." I blurted out, interrupting the song.

Katniss instantly whirled around, her bow ready to shoot me.

"It's me!" I held my hands up defensively.

She lowered her bow before giving me a small smile. I then showed her my game back, indicating that I've finished hunting.

"Oh, I'm done too." She replied.

"Okay. By the way, you've got a nice voice, Katniss. You should sing more often." I complimented before sitting down on the rock next to her. Her face lit up but then her expressions turned into something distant. Katniss then shook her head before looking at me.

"Sorry." She spoke, her voice a soft whisper but I still caught every words. "I-I couldn't resist...it's the pond...and the mockingjays."

"Mocking...jay?" I questioned.

"Them." She pointed at the mockingbird-like birds that I saw before. They have black feathers all over them except some little white patches under the wings.

"They're a mutt. Well, sort of." She explained. "You know the Jabberjays? They're the real mutts created by the Capitols during the wars. They can copy speeches so they are used to spy on people but then people figured out how they work so they became useless to the Capitol. The Capitol then left them out to die...except that before they died they bred with the mockingbirds and created the mockingjays."

"Oh." I realized.

"But the mockingjays still have some abilities, though." She continued. "They cam copy, memorise and repeat...songs... But they would only copy people with certain voices."

Realization then hit me. So the voices I heard were Katniss' and the Mockingjays'.

"Voices like yours?" I grinned. "I mean, seriously...You have a wonderful voice. I was totally enchanted by it."

We sat in silence for a while before I heard some whimpers.

Katniss was crying.

At first it was just a single tear that slid down her cheeks but then more followed. A lot more, to be exact.

I was really stunned. Have I said something wrong? What's going on? Katniss doesn't normally cry! When she was whipped she wasn't even bawling like this. Why did she just cry? One moment she was singing happily then another moment she was crying.

Wait...singing happily..._ Happily?_

I pushed my thoughts aside. Now is not the time to worry about _why_ she cried... But about _what _I'm going to do now that she cried.

"Katniss?" I anxiously called.

Katniss turned her head away from me while biting her lips, trying her best to stop crying though it was obvious that she was failing. Her body was trembling while waterfalls damped her clothes.

"Katniss..." I whispered, trying my best to comfort her.

I reached my arms out, placing then carefully around her back before gently pulling her into a hug.

"Shh... Its okay, Katniss." I whispered reassuringly while my hand tenderly caressed her back. "It's alright, Katniss. I'm right here..."

I have no idea how long she cried but after a while (a long while to me), her cries softened into sobs before finally stopping.

We then let go of eachother. Katniss turned he face away from me, purposely avoiding my eyes though I was still seated firmly next to her, ready to comfort her if she cried again.

"Thanks, Clint." She spoke up after a while in a hoarse voice, finally looking at me.

Her eyes was still red and puffy, as well as her nose and cheeks.

"You're welcome." I smiled, trying to lighten up her mood.

She stood up and made her way towards the pond before splashing her face with the cool water, washing the remaining tears and redness away.

I walked and stood next to her. I could easily tell by her unfocused eyes and dreamy face that she seemed to be thinking about something.

She sighed before looking at me.

"This pond..." She quietly spoke. "My dad used to take me swimming here when I was a kid."

Her dad?

"And that song..." She continued. "He used to sing it to me when I was a kid too. He was a really great singer... All the birds and mockingjays would fall silent when he sang... Sometimes, we would even sing together too."

Her eyes started to become glassy and watery again.

"And today..." Now her voice was really quiet and low. "Today..."

Katniss turned away, took a deep calming breath before looking at me again.

"This day...five years ago...was the day that he died." As she spoke the last word, her voice cracked as some tears spilled from her eyes.

I instantly gave her another warm hug. I know exactly how it feels to grieve for someone you love.

"That's right, Katniss." I spoke. "Let it all out."

And she did. She cried for another whole minute before calming down.

"Feeling better?" I asked.

She didn't spoke but nodded.

"Good." I spoke, looking straight into her eyes.

Being strong it important, but sometimes you just need to let it out. You can't hide everything inside forever.

"I understand how you feel, Katniss. I-I didn't have any parents when I grew up too..." I revealed. She did tell me something important to her so it would be fair if I did the same too.

"Oh, I-I'm sorry..." She replied.

"It's okay. I _did _have a...well..._brother_, though. We were put in an orphanage but we ran way and we were..._adopted_ by a circus...sort of..." I explained.

Katniss raised her eyebrow at me.

"Long story." I concluded.

"It's alright." She nodded.

We stood in a comfortable silence for a while before Katniss spoke.

"Let's go back now; we've got a lot to sell." She insisted, holding up her game bag.

"Okay." I simply responded before we walked off together.

**Hope you liked it! Also, the pace may seem a bit slow but I just wanna work on the **_**friend**_**ship between the two first but then again, only a few chapters left so please bare with me. And of course, feel free to review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys, I'm back! Sorry for not updating for a long time, but I promise I'll try to finish this story as fast as possible. Anyway, I also tried my best to be as accurate as possible but I'm not sure if all of the information are correct or not but if they're wrong, blame it on Google cos' I got them from the Internet.**

**Also, sorry if I kinda got the tenses mixed up but after I finish the story I'll edit it again.**

**This chapter is in Katniss' POV so to Katniss' fans (and my other readers), hope you liked it!**

**Disclaimer: The usual.**

"Just relax your shoulders a bit and stop being so stiff." Clint advised.

"Shut up! I need to concentrate!" I growled back.

_Wham!_

I hurried to see the result. The shot wasn't my usual clean shot through the eyes, but atleast the dog's dead now. I then packed the dog into my bag.

"How's it?" Clint called from behind.

"Missed the eye but killed it." I replied.

As I whirled around and saw Clint's concerned face, a wave of guilt overwhelmed me. Gale has been busy snaring some wild rabbits, leaving me and Clint together to shoot some games. And for the past hour, the odds weren't in my favour. I missed the fat turkey, scared the birds away...and during my first shot (the dog I just killed), I missed the eye.

Clint had been trying to help me feel better and get my usual hunting self back but instead, I rudely snapped at him for trying to help.

"Hey, I'm sorry for...well, being rude. I mean, today's just not my day and well..." I tried to apologise.

"It's okay." He insisted. "But really, what's wrong, Katniss? You've been acting down since yesterday..."

What's wrong? In the next few days my family might be starving to death, that's what's wrong! I haven't forgotten the last time we almost died...we only survived because that Baker Boy took pity on us and threw me a loaf of bread...

I shook my head. No one needs to know about that. Not Prim, not Gale, not Mother, not even Clint.

But that's not the main point. In two more days, is going to be the Reaping Day. Prim just turned twelve a few months ago so this is going to be her first Reaping. She probably wouldn't get reaped but we couldn't be sure. But even if she doesn't get reaped, there's still a high chance that _I _will get reaped. And if I got reaped...

I sighed. I couldn't hide much from Clint, even if we've known eachother for only a few months, he have already knew me too well...The only person who knew me better than him is probably Gale. Gale and I haven't told him that in two more days is the Reaping Day yet but I guess I should tell him the truth now. He's going to find out sooner or later anyway.

"In two more days it's going to be the Reaping Day." I bluntly stated.

It took a moment but then it hit him.

"Oh." He uttered, obviously lost for words. He then stared deep into my eyes before trying to reassure me.

"It's gonna be fine, Katniss...you probably won't get reaped." He gently spoke.

"Probably." I retorted back.

Clint sighed in defeat. I'll bet you my bow that he was thinking the same thing as me: Nobody can hide from the truth.

I turned away from him.

"It's not only me that I'm worried about...It's Prim." I grimly whispered.

I took a deep breath before facing Clint again.

"She's 12 now." I spoke.

"It's okay." Clint comforted me. "Her name is entered only once, right? The chances are very slim that she'll be picked."

"I hope you're right." I wished.

I slumped down onto the ground, not caring much about hunting anymore. Gale probably got a lot of meat in his snares already anyway.

Clint silently sat next to me, causing me to inwardly sigh. He was so kind... He doesn't deserve to be in a place like Panem.

"So...what do you usually do at home? I mean _your_ home." I blurted out. This question has actually been bugging me for a while. And if I'm going to get reaped and die soon, I wanted to get to know my friend as much as I could before I die.

"I was an Avenger, an agent for S.H.I.E.L.D and basically a crime-fighter. And as I told you when we first met, back at home my codename was Hawkeye." He answered.

"Nice." I commented even though I have no clue what half of the thing he said meant. "But why Hawkeye?"

"I have the eye of a hawk. I can see and shoot really well." He explained, smirking a little.

"Of course, we all knew that." I laughed.

Silence then returned.

Clint seemed to be having an internal debate with himself but then he spoke up.

"My parents...they died when I was young so me and my brother was sent to an orphanage but we ran away to join a circus." He began.

Why is he revealing his past to me? I felt sorry for him but I didn't dare to interrupt.

"When the circus saw my abilities at archery, they nicknamed me Hawkeye." He continued. "During my circus work, this two man called Swordman and Trickshot trained me. They taught me self-defense, acrobats...everything. They were like my second parents."

So that's how he first got his training. And the thing about having someone as your second family...I can really relate to that too.

I took a quick glance at Clint. He wasn't crying, but I could tell that this wasn't the normal him. He was staring intently at the ground, his eyes hard and emotionless. And that kinda frightened me.

"But then...I found out that Swordman was actually a robber...a criminal." He spoke.

A little gasp escaped from me. So he was betrayed. I was starting to feel a deep sympathy forming for him now.

"Swordman offered me to be his partner but of course, I refused. I wouldn't do such evil thing like that. We ended up fighting each other...and Swordman won before abandoning me. My brother...however, was angry that I refused Swordman...that I rejected such opportunity... So he then left me too."

His only blood-related family member _left him!_ Left him to be with that crazy criminal! A wave of emotions flooded through me...what would it feel like if Prim left me? I would surely break.

"Trickshot then became my mentor. We were very close until one day... He asked me to raid this criminal called Marko so I joined him. I severely injured one of Marko's guards but then it turns out that...that the guard... He was my brother. I nearly killed my brother!" His voice has gone into a threatening tone that I've never heard him used before.

I instantly figured that inside he must be boiling with rage but he kept them hidden. What a strong man he is...and I really admired him for that.

"So after that incident...I then abandoned Trickshot. I mean...I couldn't stay with him after what he had done to me. He knew that my brother was there, he knew how much I loved my brother and he fooled me into killing my own brother..."

I'm actually stunned that he actually told me all of this... This must've meant a lot to him. But hey, I did tell him about my father though. So I guess we're equal. But still, I'm stunned.

"It's alright; you don't have to tell me about it if you don't want to." I interrupted.

"It's okay." He replied, giving me a small smile, lifting the mood up a bit.

"But after that I was going solo, working in different circuses by the name of Hawkeye... Until I saw Iron Man. He's this guy with this super high-tech suit which he uses to fight crimes and help people with. And well...he inspired me to become a crime fighter myself." He explained, his expressions lighting up.

"Oh...so that's how you became a...well...Super-Hero." I replied, still haven't fully recovered from the fact he trusted me so much and told me all of this.

"Not really...I mean, yeah, I'm a hero but I'm not really a _super_hero." Clint responded. "I'm just a person with a high skillset. I haven't got any superpowers. I can't fly, I can't control the elements...you know."

"So...are you...lonely? I mean, from what you told me, you sound kinda like a...outcast. No offense by the way." I asked out of pure curiosity.

"Oh, not really. I'm not only the one like this. There's this girl...woman...her name is Natasha Romanoff though she goes by the name of Black Widow. She's really good at fighting, gun-shooting and pretty much everything. She's very talented and pretty too." He answered.

"We're also quite close too." Clint then added as an after-thought.

"What do you mean by close?" I raised my eyebrow. I saw Clint blushing a bit too and that really amused me.

"Do you...well...love her?" I asked, again out of pure curiosity, nothing more.

"I...It doesn't matter anyway, we're supposed to be only teammates but even if I _did_ loved her...she wouldn't love me back anyway." Clint answered.

How could someone not love a gentleman like Clint?

"How 'bout _you!" _Clint shouted playfully, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Me?" I cocked my head.

"Do you love Gale? You two seemed pretty close." I couldn't tell if he was joking or not but I told him the truth anyway.

"Do I love Gale? Yes I do." I answered back. "But as a _brother_ only."

"Really?" Clint teased.

"Yeah. I love him the same way I love you...as a brother." I spoke back.

And I meant it. Clint and Gale were both like my second family.

Clint was astonished for a moment but when he recovered, he spoke up.

"So now you've grown quite fond of me?" He playfully teased again but then his expressions turned into something soft and serious.

"But really...I love you as a sister too, Katniss." He concluded.

**Sorry if this chapter is a bit boring (just conversations and no actions) but I wanna play with the emotions a bit.**

**Only one more chapter left!**

**And as usual... Reviews are appreciated! **


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey, last chapter! And also, the reason that this is in 3****rd**** person is because, I want to try something new and I want to be able to show all the characters emotions easily without changing POV every paragraph. But still, 3****rd**** person isn't really my style so sorry if I made any mistakes.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hunger Games or Avengers.**

"Ugh... This is sick." Clint groaned as the speech played out.

The Everdeen and the Hawthorne families have gone out to the Reaping Ceremony. Beause that Clint wasn't really a citizen; he stayed back in Katniss' house and watched the Reaping get televised live instead.

Now, the Mayor was giving a speech about the origins of the Hunger Games. It was the last thing Clint needed; a reminder of the horror. And if that wasn't enough, the Districts were supposed to treat this sick Hunger Games as some kind of celebration.

The Mayor then read out the list of past District 12 victors and then Haymitch Abernathy, a druken middle-aged man stumbled onto the stage before awkwardly hugging an odd woman who was then introduced as Effie Trinket.

Effie then trotted to the podium before giving another speech. Even through the television, Clint found her awfully annoying. Her silly accent, her irritatingly vibrant clothing and her creepy make-up...

"I just hope Katniss doesn't get reaped... Joining the Games and having that freaky lady as an escort would be terrifying." Clint grumbled.

And finally, it's time for the drawing.

Effie screeched in a hyper voice, "Lady's first!"

She then slowly dumped her hand into the bowl before dramatically picked up a slip of paper.

It was as if time itself has stopped and Clint could just taste the tension in the air. Suddenly, a wave of panic attacked him.

There are thousands of slips in the ball but what if it's Katniss? Would she die? How long would she be able to survive? What about Prim and her family? Who would take care of them? What would happen if she dies?

"Not Katniss. Not Katniss. Not Katniss..." Clint repeatedly muttered the words as if it was some kind of prayer. It was all that was going through his head at that moment. The fear of Katniss getting picked, the wish of not letting it be Katniss...

And the odds were on his side. It wasn't Katniss.

It was Prim.

"Primrose Everdeen!" Effie proclaimed.

Clint swears that his heart has turned into a horse. He was on the verge of panicking right now. This wasn't any better than Katniss getting reaped.

Prim? Prim! How is it possible? Her name was only entered once! She's just 12! She's Katniss sister...she doesn't deserve to die now!

Prim, as pale as a sheet, then made her way towards the stage... towards her death.

"Prim." Clint agonizingly whispered. "No..."

He was then snapped out of his thoughts when some movements appeared through the crowds.

Clint squinted hard. Why couldn't the camera just zoom in so he could get a better look? Someone... Some girl...was making her way towards Prim. He then noticed the details. The dark braided hair, the soft sky-blue dress...

It's Katniss!

_What the heck is she doing! _Clint screamed in his mind.

Just as Prim was about to mount the steps, Katniss pushed her sister aside.

"I volunteer!" She shrieked. "I volunteer as a tribute!"

_Volunteer? _Clint puzzled. _As in...take Prim's place?_

Clint was torn between being mad or breaking down. _Katniss' life is important, why did she have to let it go? But still, Prim's her sister and Prim's life is also important..._

The thought of Katniss dying was horrible. How is he supposed to live without Katniss? Yes, he would move on but it would never be the same without her. She and Natasha were the only ones who really understood the real him. And both of them were gone.

Natasha... He was extremely certain now that he probably wouldn't be able to go back home. And Katniss... She's entering the Games! That's a suicide mission.

_Oh Katniss, _Clint inwardly mourned. _My little huntress, my little Mockingjay... Mockingjay? Wait... Every tribute is allowed token right? And the pin he just brought..._

Clint stood up and dashed outside. He needed to be quick if he wanted to meet her one last time.

_**Back to Katniss**_

"Peeta Mallark!" Effie bellowed.

_Not him. _Katniss thought. _Not baker boy... Not the boy with the bread._

And before she knew it, she was taken to a room to be left alone. It was a rich, luxurious room filled with high-class furniture. Katniss then sat onto the velvet couch before running her hands over the smooth fabric repeatedly, trying desperately to calm down.

Her family were probably coming now and she couldn't afford to break down. There will be cameras at the train station and she doesn't want to be classified as a weakling.

Prim and Mother than came in. Katniss then gave them instructions, forbid Prim to take any tesserae and ordered mother take care and stay with Prim. And lastly, only because of Prim's pleas; Katniss promised that she will try her best to win.

The Peeta's father came in. Katniss thanked him for the breads and he gave Katniss some cookies as a farewell present before they sat in silence together. However, before leaving her promised Katniss that he'll make sure Prim's eating and is well.

Finally, it's Gale. They both didn't hesitate to pull each other into a deep hug. Gale told Katniss to make sure she got some kind of bow with her in the arena. With a bow, she could easily kill. Killing animals is a piece of cake... It's only people she was worried about. But one thing for sure; she must get a bow.

Gale then promised her to take care of Prim and mother before finally leaving.

"So that's everyone." Katniss muttered. But then, a name popped into her mind.

Clint Barton.

_Oh, don't be silly, he's not coming. _A voice taunted in her head.

Katniss sighed. She _really_ wanted to see him. She doesn't know why, but she needed to see him. She wanted to feel his warm embrace again... She wanted to tell him how much he meant to her for the last time.

And as if on cue, the door burst open.

"Katniss!" His familiar deep voice exclaimed.

"Clint!" Katniss replied, her voice full of bittersweet happiness.

Both the Hawk and the Mockingjay then collided into a firm hug.

"Clint! You came!" Katniss shouted, blinking away the tears forming in her eyes.

"Of course, I-I wanted to see you..." Clint tenderly whispered.

"For the last time." Katniss grimly added.

They stood in silence for a while before the emotions overwhelmed Clint.

"Oh, Katniss." He whispered, tightly grasping her hands. "Promise me you'll come back home."

"No, I'm not promising you that." Katniss gravely replied.

"But," she continued, "I'll promise to try my best."

"You must." Clint stroked her hair.

"Katniss...do one more thing for me." He pleaded.

"What is it?" She questioned.

"They let you wear one thing from your district in the arena right? One thing to remind you of home. So will you wear this?" Clint then handed her the pin.

It was a circular beautifully crafted golden pin with a little graceful bird in flight in the centre.

"It's a Mockingjay Pin." Clint explained. "To remind you of the time when you sand and well, I was planning to give it to you this morning before you left but I freaked out so here it is."

Clint then carefully fixed it onto Katniss' dress.

"Where did you get this from?" Katniss asked perplexed.

"Bought it from that guy in the Hob-" He started.

"It must be very expensive." Katniss interrupted.

"Not really, its not real gold, just metal painted gold." He reassured her.

"But still! How did you managed to bought it?" Katniss continued.

"I traded it with some of my personal items...but really, I'd trade anything for you, Katniss." Clint spoke, his voice full of emotions.

"Thank you Clint, for everything...Hope you somehow get to go back to your home." Katniss then sensed some tears forming so she blinked them away.

"No, _I'm_ the one supposed to thank you...and I hope _you_ somehow get to come back home." Clint replied, his eyes melting into her grey orbs.

They then hugged for the last time and Clint couldn't help but let some tears flow down his face.

"I'll never forget you, Katniss." He sincerely spoke.

"Me too, Clint." She admitted.

Clint then gently gave Katniss a small kiss on her forehead before some Peacekeeper came and took him away.

_**A few hours later (after Katniss left with the train), with Clint and Gale in the forest**_

_Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham!_

The arrows pierced through the air before slamming onto the trees.

"Gale, calm down, will you?" Clint sighed.

"Calm down? Calm down!" Gale raged. "How the hell am I supposed to calm down! Katniss is in the Games! She might have some chance of winning but still! Haven't you seen the Careers?"

Clint unenthusiastically sighed again. He knew how hard it must be for Gale to get over Katniss. Even Clint, who only knew Katniss for only a few _months, _was on the verge of being depressed when she entered the Games... So you could only imagine how hard it must've been for Gale who has been with Katniss for _years._

But then again, what could they do?

Both of them decided to come out to the forest, to do something because they really need something to get their minds of Katniss. Clint has gone numb while Gale was letting his anger out with his archery.

"Clint!" Gale yelled, snapping Clint out of his thoughts.

"What?" He replied.

"I'm bored of shooting so I'm going for a walk," Gale explained. "Wanna come?"

"No." Clint bluntly responded. "Not in the mood."

Gale then jogged off, leaving Clint all alone.

Clint just sat on the ground, doing nothing. He didn't know what to do. He didn't even know what to feel. He was just numb. Blank. Empty.

For what seemed like years to him, he sat there doing nothing bur stared off into space.

Gale was right. Even with her hunting skills, the chances of her winning were very slim. Even if she won, she would never be the same. She'll turn into someone different. A drunk, indifferent person like Haymitch maybe?

Katniss is gone. Period.

Clint just sat there, doing nothing for God knows how long. It could've been decades or it could've just been fifteen minutes.

But then, some sounds woke him from his daze. Familiar sound. The feelings he got when he heard them jolted his senses awake. It was something like déjà-vu... Something familiar you knew long time ago but couldn't really work out when or how.

The sounds of low footsteps, the sounds of machines, sounds of some kind of creature roaring, and the sound of...voices?

As Clint listened closer, he figured that most of them were males but there was one female...sounded like someone he knew...sounded like Natasha...

Tasha?

Clint was wide awake now. He locked his bow, getting ready before trying to find the source.

What if it's really the Avengers? What if they've somehow came to find him?

"Clint! You there? Someone?" A voice, Gale's voice yelled.

"I'm here!" Clint immediately responded.

Finally they found eachother.

"A giant green mutt and some weird people were attacking me... Well okay, I kinda attacked them first but whatever. They're even worst than that alien that nearly killed me last time." Gale panted.

Green? Giant? ...Hulk? Weird people? ...Avengers?

"Where are they?" Clint asked his voice urgent as adrenaline shot through him.

"If we stay here I bet they'll find us." Gale answered, slightly worried.

"Then let them find us." Clint stated.

"You crazy?" Gale asked amusingly.

"No!" Clint answered eventhough a voice in his head said 'maybe'. "It's just that...from what you told me, they sounded like the Avengers!"

Gale looked thoughtful for a moment before replying. "You mean, your friends from your home?"

Clint just nodded. There was a tinge of disappointment in Gale's eyes.

And he was right. It was the Avengers.

At first, it was Hulk who came bashing towards them but then the other followed. They tried to attack but when Clint showed himself they stopped.

Clint immediately ran into Natasha and hugged her before greeting the rest of his team.

"Okay, now let us destroy your kidnapper!" Thor boomed but right before he and the team tried to attack Gale, Clint stopped them.

"No! Don't hurt him!" Clint defensively shouted. "He's my friend! Most of the people here are!"

"Your friend?" Captain America questioned.

"It's a long story." Clint replied.

The Avengers then lowered their weapons before apologising Gale.

"So, let's go home, Hawkeye! We've found a way to control the portal so let's go home!" Iron Man cheerily exclaimed.

"Great!" Clint smiled but then he noticed Gale who had a sad and hurt expression on his face.

"Gale?" Clint softly asked. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I want you to go home of course. It's just that... I'll miss you, bro. I mean, you're the only person who really knows me. The other is Katniss but well..." He sighed. "But anyway, just don't forget us,okay?"

"Of course, I wouldn't forget District 12. That includes the Hob, the families, _you," _Clint smiled but then his expression darkened. "And _her_._" _

"Her?" Black Widow puzzled.

"Long story." Clint simply replied. "I'll tell you guys 'bout it when we get home."

They stood in silence for a while but Clint broke the ice.

"Actually, thinking about it," Clint spoke. "If Katniss survives the Games, give her this as my farewell gift for me please."

Clint then handed Gale his bow. The other Avengers looked puzzled, shocked and bemused while Gale was just stunned.

"And tell her for me too..." Clint softly spoke. "That I'll miss her a lot."

**The End! Hope you like it! I do have some ideas for a sequel but if I do write a sequel, it will have to be during September because I'm quite busy during August.**

**And as usual, reviews are welcomed! Sequel ideas, praises, criticism or comments are amazing.**

**Thank you everyone for supporting me throughout the story, love you all!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey, I'm back! Sorry for not updating, it's just that schoolwork keep getting in the way. I've finally found some spare time to write an epilogue (loosely based on Mitch2001liu and Bazinga26 ideas). Also, sorry if the character seems a bit weird to you but I did tried my best to make them as realistic as possible.**

His eyes fluttered open, sweat covering his face. The temperature was warm. Too warm. It was making his body become hot and sticky.

He then noticed the bed he was sleeping on. It was awfully soft and so were his sheets. Something wasn't right. His bed was usually hard and chilly, not soft and warm like this.

He rolled out of bed. He was in a grey room filled with some modern red and blue furniture, giving it a stylish look. His eyes then laid themselves onto the windows and outside of them were many towering skyscrapers. Some golden rays were illuminating up the sky, brightening the soft blue sky up.

He really needed to settle down.

Everything was right, or atleast it was supposed to be right. It was morning and the sun was rising. Clinnt Barton was back at New York in 2012, not at Panem centuries later. He was in his bedroom in the Stark Tower, not at Katniss's spare bedroom at the Seam.

Clint sighed. He was home with his friends; the Avengers...with Natasha. He was safe. He don't have to fear about starving to death or worry about getting whipped by the Peacekeepers anymore. The best thing was that, he was back with Natasha now.

It wasn't that he wasn't grateful, it was just that... Clint doesn't really believe that he deserved all of this. It just wasn't right.

He was safe and sound in a luxurious bedroom while Katniss, the next closest person to a family to him, was fighting for her life in the Arena, assuming if she was even still alive.

Clint let out another sigh before he casually took of his clothes and stepped into the shower. The cool running water refreshed his mind and body, but as the water was dropping to the point where he was starting to shiver, Clint turned the temperature up.

It was better, but as much as the warm water soothed his nerves, it didn't help calm his mind which was running at 100mph. His mind was racing with questions.

How is Katniss doing? Is she hurt? Is she even still alive? What about her family? Did they take the news well? Are Prim and her mother starving? Is Gale taking care of them well?

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop worrying. If only he knew how they were now. He should have stayed back there. He should have helped them, or atleast tried to.

After a few moments, his hands then reached out and turned off the water. He then stepped out of the shower, dried himself, put some clothes on and walked downstairs to breakfast.

As Clint approached the dining table, he noticed Natasha, Tony and Steve who were already there, chewing their breakfast away. Natasha's eyes caught the sight of Clint and her spirit leaped with joy, but her mental dance was disrupted when he seated himself next to her.

Something told her that he wasn't feeling well. He was quiet, way too quiet. He might not be a chatterbox like Stark but this was just not him. She glanced at his eyes; it was blank and empty, but she didn't dared ask him 'what's wrong'.

She spotted Clint glancing at her so she quickly averted her eyes away and continue to eat her breakfast.

They ate in silence for a while but someone then gently nudged Natasha. It was Steve. Natasha raised her brows at him in return.

However, their unspoken conversation was interrupted by Tony who stood up.

"I'm full now," he spoke. "If you need me I'll be in the lab."

"Wait," Clint called, earning the whole table's attention.

"Yeah?" Tony replied.

"You're just gonna put all that leftovers in the bin?" Clint asked, his voice pure disbelieve.

"Yeah," Tony answered while turning around to face Clint.

"Why are you complaining? I mean, it's not like you're the one who paid for the breakfast," Tony joked.

"You're crazy or what?" Clint snapped suddenly, his eyes flaring while he stood up and clenched his fists. In only a split second, he had instantly changed from an emotionless man to a fiery, raging one.

Tony eyes widen as he took a step back while putting his hands up defensively.

"Take a chill pill, Legolas!" Tony spoke, trying to calm Clint down.

Steve and Natasha were both stunned and confused by the sudden outburst but they both stayed seated and continued to observe the situation closely.

Clint closed his eyes and took some calming breath before reopening them again.

"Stark," Clint hissed, his voice a cold whisper. "There are people out there who are starving to death and you're just wasting your food away like that?"

The room was silent; no one dared to utter a sound. Nobody even knew how to respond.

"I'll be in my room," Clint said. "Just knock if you need me."

He then soundlessly walked away.

When Clint was out of ear-range, Steve spoke up.

"Natasha, we need to have a word with Clint," Steve ordered. "And Tony, try not to irritate him please."

_- Line Break - Line Break -_

Her glassy grey orbs stared off into the distance. So much has changed and her life was now messed up. The silver lining seemed very faint and far away, it was just a matter of time before all the hopes would be gone.

Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games but the end of the Games weren't the end of the horrors. The nightmares still haunted her every night and no matter what happened, they refused to go away.

To make it even worst, Clint has left and gave her his bow and a pin as a farewell present. Of course, Katniss was grateful for all he had done for them and of the little gifts he left behind for her but now that he was gone, she hated him.

When she first heard the news that Clint had left, Katniss was tremendously disappointed though she was flattered when she got Clint's bow and Gale told her about how Clint would "miss her a lot" when he was back home. But even if Clint was gone, she would still have Gale, Prim, mother and District 12, right?

She was wrong.

Gale would give her the cold shoulder whenever someone mention about Peeta. The people of the Seam and the Hob seemed frightened of her and if that wasn't enough, Prim and Mother was acting a bit weird around her too!

If Clint was here, he would comfort her, give her a caring hug and tell her how 'everything is going to be alright'. But he wasn't here.

She really hated him for that. Why must he leave her when she needed him the most? And the _gifts!_ They weren't gifts to her; they were a reminder of what she once had. A cruel reminder of the happy times that were now gone.

Gale told her that Clint would _miss her a lot. _Another horrible lie. Why would he miss her when he was back with the Avengers and that little Natasha he spoke of?

So here was Katniss, lost in her thoughts, sitting alone in that same spot where she and Clint first met. The ironic memory of their first meeting forced a dry chuckle out of her. When they first met, she thought Clint was some nasty person from the Capitol when he really was the polar opposite. And at that thought, her left hand unconsciously traced the Mockingjay Pin that he gave her while her right hand gripped his precious bow tightly as if it might flew away if she let it go.

As much as she loathed him for leaving her, she still wouldn't hesitate to hug him if he comes back. Even if she refused to admit it, she actually really missed him.

The memory of their last meeting then popped back into her mind, Katniss remembered Clint promising her that he'll never forget her. She really hoped that it was true.

_If Clint wouldn't miss me, _Katniss thought, _then atleast let him not forget me._

Katniss sighed before standing up.

"Maybe, just maybe," Katniss wished. "Let me meet him again too."

**Hope you like it. And about the sequel: with the help of Bazinga26, I have created a basic plan of the sequel. However, if you have any suggestions feel free to send them (I'll find some way to fit them into the story). Credits for the ideas will go to you.**

**The overall plan for the sequel that I can think of now is that; the Avengers come back to Panem to help with the rebellion. The pairing would be Clintasha romance, Peenis romance and Hawkniss friendship.**

**But I must warn you first (so you don't get your hopes up too high), it might take a (long) while for the sequel to be up cos' as you know, I like to plan everything first before starting to write and that school is opening on the 27****th**** so my writing schedule is gonna be quite slow. I apologise for that but please bear with me!**

**And also, I would like to thank you everybody who favorited, alerted or/and reviewed this story. Thank you so much! All the favs, alerts and reviews really means a lot to me!**

**Thank you all my readers, I promise you I'll be back soon. Until then, stay tuned! **


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